And Now A Call From the School Nurse, Um, Secretary

By Michelle Gerdes

Getty Images

As the next round of cold-and-flu season kicks off along with the new school year, many parents are gearing up for that dreaded phone call: “This is Nurse So-and-So. Little Johnny has a fever. Please pick him up from school.”

Let the juggling begin! Can I drop everything and leave work right now? Can my spouse? Is there another family member or friend available? Do I have cough medicine in the house? Will I need to take time off from work for a doctor’s appointment? Will my boss roll his eyes if I do?

All good questions, but here’s something to give even the most organized parent pause: According to numbers from the National Association of School Nurses, Little Johnny may not have a nurse diagnosing him at all. Instead of Nurse So-and-So calling with the bad news, it could be Secretary So-and-So.

Per NASN’s most recent numbers (2009), only 13 states met the government-recommended ratio of one school nurse per 750 well students. In the 2009 school year, based on a survey of 1055 randomly selected schools, more than half of school buildings did not have a full-time registered nurse and a quarter of school buildings had neither a full-time nor a part-time nurse.

As schools scramble to balance budgets, school-nurse positions are often some of the first to get the axe.

It’s one thing knowing your child is in trained and capable hands, sitting on a cot until they can be picked up. But the idea of a sick child sitting, say, in the main office clutching his lunch bag as a barf bag, waiting to be cared for and taken home can be heartbreaking. And if your child has a serious medical concern, say, asthma, that can be downright frightening.

NASN President, Linda Davis-Alldritt suggests asking your child’s school what medical staffing there is, so you can be prepared. And if your child has a serious condition:

• Give permission for the school nurse to speak to the health-care provider.

• Provide parent contact information, and update the school with changes.

• Ask if non-nurses will be providing care, for example, who will administer medication, and how will they be supervised.

Readers, do you know if there is a full-time RN on staff at your child’s school? How do you, or would you, feel about a non-trained school staffer being responsible for your sick child? Do you have a plan-of-action already in place for when you do get “the call”?

Comments (5 of 78)

I carry on listening to the news speak about getting boundless online grant applications so I have been looking around for the most excellent site to get one. Could you tell me please, where could i acquire some?

The school was massive, with over 3000 kids, and portable classrooms set up outside. If there were an emergency, it would take too much time for a kid who coudln’t breathe to get to the nurse. At the current school, it’s supposed to be wtih the secretary. However, we’ve had ER visits this fall when the wildfires were bad and my child couldn’t breathe. http://www.howtobecomecna.net/

6:04 am October 27, 2011

Nursing Student wrote :

I found this blog to be very interesting. I am a nursing student who is doing a blog with a group of my fellow students about this very issue. This blog brings up some very good points about the need for school nurses. Right now we are following a bill that was sponsored concerning a state regulation of a school nurse to student ratio. Our blog can be viewed at http://nursingcommunityhealthissues.blogspot.com/. We are inviting both the sponsor and co-sponsor to view it, as well as Rep. Goodlatte, Sen. Warner, and Sen. Webb. The increased need of students entering the public school system with chronic conditions, as well as the need of all students, to have access to an RN causes us to feel strongly in advocating for school nurses and their importance.

12:09 am October 21, 2011

Loran wrote :

Why is it that a comment such as "pudgey old nurse" is used to describe a professional registered nurse when in a school setting? I am a school nurse but I did 25 years of Pediatric Nursing and Board Certified from the American Nurses Association. My credentials validate my expertise to take care of school children. It's comments like those that hurt a professional and makes it harder to have nurses ever consider becoming school nurses in the first place. As part of containment of government spending the school nurses here on Guam are being consolidated to join forces with Public Health nurses. Provision of care to school children will be compromised and will be reason enough for law suits.

About The Juggle

The Juggle examines the choices and tradeoffs people make as they juggle work and family. The site provides readers with news, insight and tips on parenting, workplace issues, commuting, caregiving and other issues busy readers with families face. It is also a place for readers to share and compare their own work-and-family experiences and to seek advice and recommendations. The Juggle is includes regular contributions from other staffers at the Journal. Contact the Juggle with ideas or suggestions at thejuggle@wsj.com